A protection means with a gas bag intended to protect the head of a vehicle occupant from coming into contact with the side window in the case of vehicle side impact is known from DE 296 05 896. The head-side gas bag provided in this case is secured by its front and rear end to the A-pillar and C-pillar, respectively, and covers the two side windows and the B-pillar.
Side-impact protection means offer protection, however, only in the case of a collision occuring in a direction of 90.degree..+-.30.degree. to the vehicle longitudinal axis. In the case of a head-on collision or a collision at an angle of 0.degree..+-.60.degree. to the vehicle longitudinal axis the conventional gas bag on the driver's side or at the front passenger side is intended to offer protection. In the case of an offset head-on collision in which the shock affecting the vehicle is not introduced into the vehicle in the region of the vehicle center line, or in the case of a skew front-end collision it is, however, possible that the vehicle occupant slides along the driver or front passenger gas bag so that his head comes into contact with the A-pillar.